La Tremblade
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La Tremblade () is a commune in the
Charente-Maritime Charente-Maritime (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Chérente-Marine''; ) is a Departments of France, department in the French Regions of France, region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, on the country's west coast. Named after the river Charente (river), Charen ...
department and
Nouvelle-Aquitaine Nouvelle-Aquitaine () is the largest Regions of France, administrative region in France by area, spanning the west and southwest of Metropolitan France. The region was created in 2014 by the merging of Aquitaine, Limousin, and Poitou-Charentes ...
region of southwestern
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.


Toponymy

The name of the town probably derives from the presence of
aspen Aspen is a common name for certain tree species in the Populus sect. Populus, of the ''Populus'' (poplar) genus. Species These species are called aspens: * ''Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (China, south of ''P. tremula'') * ''Populus da ...
trees (French: ''tremblers'') in the forests of the region during the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...


Environment

''Perfumed by the smell of resin, the forest is in spring all fragrant with the scent of broom and gorse whose bright yellow form with green trees a symphony of colors. What a charming hiking, tasting long solitary walks than winning Ronce-les-Bains by La Coubre forest'', Louis Desgraves, ''Saintonge''. La Tremblade consists of 78% forest and semi-natural areas (forest of La Coubre essentially), with the rest of the territory being divided between wetlands (9%), agricultural land (6%) and artificialized (6%).


Bastion of Protestantism

In the 16th century,
Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
took hold in the provinces of
Aunis Aunis () is a historical Provinces of France, province of France, situated in the north-west of the department of Charente-Maritime. Its historic capital is La Rochelle, which took over from Châtelaillon-Plage, Castrum Allionis (Châtelaillon) t ...
and
Saintonge Saintonge may refer to: *County of Saintonge, a historical province of France on the Atlantic coast * Saintonge (region), a region of France corresponding to the historical province * Saintonge ware, a medieval pottery type produced in Saintes reg ...
. Men like Philibert Hamelin (founder of the Reformed Churches in the municipalities of Arvert and Oléron) organised the nascent communities. The authorities reacted inconsistently. There were periods of relative tolerance and successive waves of persecution. Philibert Hamelin was arrested in 1557, strangled and burned. During the
religious wars A religious war or a war of religion, sometimes also known as a holy war (), is a War, war and conflict which is primarily caused or justified by differences in religion and beliefs. In the modern period, there are frequent debates over the exte ...
, terror changed sides and Catholics came under attack. The monasteries of La Garde and the Crown were ransacked, the monks dispersed and monastic lands leased. These fratricidal wars ended with the enactment of the
Edict of Nantes The Edict of Nantes () was an edict signed in April 1598 by Henry IV of France, King Henry IV and granted the minority Calvinism, Calvinist Protestants of France, also known as Huguenots, substantial rights in the nation, which was predominantl ...
. After the series of conflicts, village populations were almost entirely Protestant. In the 17th century and 18th century, La Tremblade's port was a hub for the provisioning of ships bound for
New France New France (, ) was the territory colonized by Kingdom of France, France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Kingdom of Great Br ...
. It was also the base for ships fishing the Newfoundland banks" (Colbert album). Several shipyards were located there, including those of the French Royal Navy. Ships such as "La Renommé" of Commondant Foran (1662) or "Le Grand" of Captain Jehan Lestrille (1675) were refitted there, and François de Vendôme, Duke of Beaufort, prepared his ships for his expeditions to Africa at La Tremablade.
Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
wanted to establish an arsenal in the area, but dangerous currents at Oléron caused Colbert to choose another site: a small village in the middle of the marsh, about twenty kilometres to the north, which ultimately became the city of
Rochefort Rochefort () may refer to: Places France * Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, in the Charente-Maritime department ** Arsenal de Rochefort, a former naval base and dockyard * Rochefort, Savoie in the Savoie department * Rochefort-du-Gard, in the G ...
. Oyster farming was established in 1650 by Charles and Blanche Chapeleine. Green oysters from the Isles of Arvert became a delicacy. Eaten raw or marinated, they were prized by King Louis XIV and the French nobility. This activity remains restricted to the port and salt marshes. An order in 1681 to close Protestant temples (churches) opened the way for further persecution of Protestants. Solemn processions were held in the presence of local officials (and the Intendant of Aunis, that same year). The faithful of the "RPR" ( Reformed Religion) were urged to convert to the "true faith." Many refused and were exiled. The exodus was such that Fénelon was sent to the area to try to reason with the "lost sheep". His mission, which began on 6 February 1686, ended in total failure. The authorities decided to employ a more radical tactic: sending
dragoons Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat wi ...
(
Dragonnades The ''Dragonnades'' was a policy implemented by Louis XIV in 1681 to force French Protestants known as Huguenots to convert to Catholicism. It involved the billeting of dragoons of the French Royal Army in Huguenot households, with the so ...
) to harass and intimidate Protestants into converting to Catholicism or leaving France.


Development

In the 18th century, due to a reversal of the demographic trend, the village, which was not even a full-fledged parish, had a larger population than the capital of the Barony on which it depended,
Arvert Arvert () is a Communes of France, commune in the Charente-Maritime Departments of France, department and Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Alvertons'' or ''Alvertonnes''. Geography ...
. The village was emancipated in 1749 by becoming an independent parish, and in 1758, Jean Charles de Saint-Nectaire, Baron of Arvert, transferred his stately home, La Tremblade. The way was paved for the village, which has about 2000 inhabitants at the eve of the Revolution, to become capital of the newly created district in 1790. A section of the patriotic society of "Friends of the Constitution" (official name of
Jacobins The Society of the Friends of the Constitution (), renamed the Society of the Jacobins, Friends of Freedom and Equality () after 1792 and commonly known as the Jacobin Club () or simply the Jacobins (; ), was the most influential List of polit ...
), was organised there as in many towns and villages of France. It opened a "Temple of Freedom" the 27 December 1791. In 1794, during the Terror, the Marquis de Conflans, last lord of Arvert and La Tremblade, was forced to give his estate to the Republic. During the 19th century, the city gained a church, temple, covered market and railway, and became an important economic centre of the department. The
oyster Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but no ...
revolutionised the local economy based on fishing, agriculture (production of wheat, maize and rye), wine (white wine production, brandy and vinegar) and it was also turning more and more towards
tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
. In 1876, La Tremblade was classified as the fifth-largest port in France after
La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle'') is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime Departments of France, department. Wi ...
, with an estimated traffic of 8300 tonnes (oysters, salt, fish products ). Many villas were built on the edge of the ocean, west of the town, in a grid pattern established by Joseph Edward Perraudeau of Beaufief, one of the first being the Villa "Stork", built in 1860, the genesis of the future seaside district of . In 1862, a Parisian physician, Dr. Brochard, publishes a brochure entitled ''The sea baths in La Tremblade'' contributing to the development of the resort. In 1940, the city was occupied by German troops. During their withdrawal in February 1945, they burned the city centre, before retreating to a redoubt in the forest of Coubre. The Allies (158th Infantry Regiment) landed at the Mus-de-loup on 14 April 1945 and liberated the city, Image:Église du Sacré-Cœur de La Tremblade.jpg Image:Capture le gardour.png Image:LTB2.jpg


Lighthouse

Several temporary lighthouses were established during the 19th century, all undermined by the sea. An imperial decree of 12 May 1860 ordered the establishment of a lighthouse on the north bank of the
Gironde estuary The Gironde estuary ( , US usually ; , ; , ) is a navigable estuary (though often referred to as a river) in southwest France and is formed from the meeting of the rivers Dordogne and Garonne just downstream of the centre of Bordeaux. Coverin ...
, because of the many shipwrecks, although it was not until 1895 that a stone lighthouse 57 metres high was erected. The building collapsed in May 1907 due to erosion by the sea. The La Coubre Lighthouse, whose construction was decided in October 1904, was commissioned in 1905. Purposely built 1800 meters from the shore, the rapid erosion of the sandbanks in the estuary meant that by 2010 it was only 150 meters from the high-tide mark. It has many cracks and leaks. It was decorated for the celebration of its centenary in 2005, and included a display tracing the history of lighthouses in the
estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...
of the
Gironde Gironde ( , US usually , ; , ) is the largest department in the southwestern French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Gironde estuary, a major waterway, its prefecture is Bordeaux. In 2019, it had a population of 1,623,749.
. The La Coubre lighthouse was registered as an
historic monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...
on 15 April 2015. Phare de la Coubre, écomusée.JPG, La Coubre lighthouse museum. Phare de la Coubre, écomusée 02.JPG, Phare de la Coubre, écomusée 03.JPG, Phare de la Coubre, écomusée 04.JPG,


Economy

The geographical location of the municipality is responsible for the balance of two economic sectors,
tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
(mostly coastal) and
oyster Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but no ...
farming. Its coastline, its some twenty kilometres of beach, a protected forest area and its proximity to the beach resorts of La Côte de beauté (
Royan Royan (; in the Saintongeais dialect; ) is a commune and town in the south-west of France, in the Departments of France, department of Charente-Maritime in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Capital of the Côte de Beauté, Royan is one of the mai ...
, but also its main satellites: Saint-Palais-sur-Mer, La Palmyre ...) or the
Oléron island The Isle of Oléron or Oléron Island (, ; Saintongese: ''ilâte d'Olerun''; , ) is an island off the Atlantic coast of France (due west of Rochefort), on the southern side of the Pertuis d'Antioche strait. It is the second largest island of M ...
give tourism a considerable weight, and two tourism offices are present in the common (in the city center and the place Brochard at Ronce-les-Bains) to welcome visitors. The seaside neighborhood of Ronce-les-Bains is equipped with several campsites, guesthouses, hotels, holiday villages, shops and also a
casino A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...
, one of only two of the agglomeration royannaise with that of Pontaillac. Established in 2007, it is the property of Partouche group, and employed 22 people at that date. It is a significant source of revenue for the city: 15% of casino winnings are donated directly to the commune. Different land use projects are also being studied, including the creation of a ''deepwater port'' at "Mus de Loup" in Ronce-les-Bains. The position of the town in the heart of the oyster basin of Marennes fact that production and refining oysters are an important part of the economy, agriculture and oyster gathering 17.7% of assets (more than average county, established at 15.2%).Comparateur de territoire
Insee
In fact, La Tremblade is not only the first port of Marennes-Oléron basin, but also the whole of France. This privileged position explains a research center of the IFREMER (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea) is located in the town: it is responsible for conducting research on the marine environment of bringing a track in the development of oysters, to preserve the health of livestock but also to work on genetic improvements.
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Sport

La Tremblade organise every year since 2001 the Supercross Tremblade , a test of the SX Tour, European competition motocross "freestyle" of international level. The municipality has also provided a framework for cutting multiglisse France in 2008, organized by the French Federation of Surf. Five disciplines were on the program of this national level competition (surfing, longboard, bodyboard, bodysurfing and stand up paddle). In May 2010, France Championships qualification surf casting took place on the beach of Embellie. The wild coast is home to several famous surfing spots, including here, at ''La Pointe de la Coubre''. On 25 and 26 April 2015, the spot 46 of the wild coast hosts the first step in surfing France cut (longboard categories and stand up paddle). Smaller surf competitions are organized occasionally, mainly at the spot of ''La Pointe de la Coubre''.


Population


See also

*
Communes of the Charente-Maritime department The following is a list of the 462 communes of the Charente-Maritime department of France. The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalities (as of 2025):


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tremblade
Communes of Charente-Maritime Populated coastal places in France